A coalition of rebel groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo called the US-brokered peace deal between Congo and Rwanda “a step, albeit limited, but useful.”
Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) coordinator Corneille Nangaa warned against reducing the Congo crisis to a simple dispute between Kigali and Kinshasa, calling that an “unacceptable deception.”
The AFC includes rebel factions and political parties, notably the armed group M23, which remains central to the conflict’s complexity.
Nangaa said the agreement addresses only a fraction of the conflict’s root causes, urging an inclusive approach to meet AFC/M23’s legitimate demands.
Signed Friday by Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers, the peace deal sparks cautious hope for ending intense fighting in eastern Congo.
Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner hailed the initiative as both a diplomatic victory and a triumph for the Congolese people.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe emphasized a commitment to irreversibly end state support for militia groups and halt hostilities between armies.
Since clashes erupted, M23 has displaced over 500,000 people and caused more than 3,000 deaths, controlling key eastern cities like Goma and Bukavu.
Nduhungirehe declined to comment on AFC/M23’s critique but reaffirmed Rwanda’s support for the Doha talks between M23 and the Congolese government.
Nangaa praised the Doha process as the only viable framework demanding direct talks with Rwanda, insisting no military path will resolve Congo’s crisis.
He criticized President Felix Tshisekedi’s refusal to negotiate with M23 as a “betrayal of our future generations.”
The fragile peace deal represents a tentative stride toward reconciliation amid a conflict shadowed by deep-seated grievances and regional tensions.